Wanted
by Kanouchi
Summary: A noble thief steals from the Evil Queen and becomes number one on her most wanted list. Outlaw Queen.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** Hello everyone! This is my first multi chapter fanfiction. I have been thinking about it for a long time, and season 4 has finally catapulted me back into the Outlaw Queen hype. I'm not sure how long it will be yet, but I hope to maintain regular updates! Also, I am relatively new to the fanfiction community, and I know my writing still has a lot of room for improvement. In the meantime, please enjoy this first chapter!

* * *

"_It is possible to find love again."_

Amidst the dull sound of horse's hooves and a bumbling carriage, Tinker Bell's words echoed in the back of Regina's mind. Frowning, the queen shook her head a little, wondering where in the world _that_ had come from. Regina's little adventure with Tinker Bell was no more than distant memory, back during a time when Regina still struggled with the darkness, clinging to whatever light was left within her for dear life.

Like she said, a distant memory.

Regina had long since embraced the darkness. Any hope of happiness for Regina could only happen in one way: killing Snow White.

The image of Snow White's pale head dripping blood onto a spike sent a satisfying chill through Regina. Her dark red lips curled into a grin. She longed for the day when the evil little brat got what she deserved for ruining Regina's happiness. Snow White _would_ pay. Soon. And then… then Regina could be happy.

So then why had Tinker Bell's words from so long ago popped into her mind?

Sighing, Regina poked her head out of her carriage window and called to the driver. "I'm sorry, did I say I wanted to arrive at the palace by next week? Hurry it up!"

The driver visibly jumped at the sound of Regina's voice. "Y-yes, Your Majesty!" he squeaked. A whip sounded, and the carriage moved noticeably faster.

Regina sat back in her seat with a huff. Her elaborate and not-entirely-breathable attire chaffed against her skin, and not to mention this carriage was beginning to feel terribly stuffy. Regina had put up with travelling for long enough, and exhaustion was finally setting in.

Regina had to remind herself why she was travelling just to keep herself sane. She thought about the past several months. Lately, every day had felt the same: travel throughout the forest and search for Snow White. Sometimes this meant interrogating villages. Sometimes this meant burning them.

The plan seemed promising at first, but now it had been months since Regina had begun, and there was nothing to show for it except countless prisoners and executions, none of them Snow White.

That's why Regina had to make the decision to move to her summer palace in Sherwood Forest several months early. There was no point in scouring the same place when Snow White was nowhere to be found. Moving discreetly to a new place and search out new territory would give Regina a temporary element of surprise and the fresh start she knew she needed.

Regina relaxed a little and sat back. Her eyes turned toward the window which she had cracked open to let some air in. It was already dark out, so all she could make out was blackness blurring with more blackness (Rather than stop for the night and wait to arrive the next morning, Regina had insisted on traveling a few more hours into the night in order to finish the journey already). The faint scent of forest tainted he nostrils. Regina never knew why, but she always loved the smell of the forest.

"_There he is. The man with the lion tattoo."_

Regina jolted forward. Okay, seriously? The monotony of the days' travel must finally be getting to her, she determined. Regina poked her head out the window and braced to snap at the driver again when she was interrupted.

"We are here, Your Majesty!" the scrawny bearded man called to her.

Regina let out a happy sigh as her mouth curved into a rare smile of relief. _Finally._ She longed to march straight up to her chamber, change in to a comfortable nightgown, and get a decent night's rest before beginning the search for Snow White tomorrow. Actually feeling a little excited, Regina drew nearer to the window of the carriage to catch a glimpse of her summer home.

Therefore, when she looked upon the palace which resided on a cliffside overlooking a sparkling black lake, she couldn't make out much. The dark castle outline was still visible against the starry sky, and torches flickered along the gates and walls. Regina's eyes wandered up to the tallest tower, where her personal chamber was located. The thought of the cozy bed that awaited her gave way to another rare, hopeful smile, until she noticed another flickering torch, only this one was inside her chamber… and it was moving. Regina's smile quickly gave way to a sneer.

"Stop. Stop!" she ordered.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt, the driver hastily hopped off to open the door for Regina, but she was already out and storming up to the gates. "Your Maj—?"

"_Someone_ is in my palace," she sneered. "Someone who doesn't belong."

* * *

"Absolutely not, Little John." Robin sighed, scratching his head and turning to walk away like he always did when something potentially risky was suggested to him. "You remember what happened the last time we tried robbing a sorceress's castle."

Little John walked briskly beside his leader. "That was different, Robin. You know everything would have been fine with Maleficent's castle if that bloke Will Scarlet hadn't ruined everything!" Little John took hold of both of Robin's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "This is_ me_, Robin. You can trust me. Remember what I said. This is the queen's summer home. Winter just barely ended, and everyone knows she's preoccupied with finding that Snow White girl. When the queen's not there, there are hardly enough guards to hinder us." Little John's pleading eyes searched Robin's. "Come _on_, Robin. It'll be a jackpot!"

Robin's mouth formed into a thin line as he looked down and shook his head. Robin never liked to put his men in more danger than necessary, and for someone like the evil queen, _dangerou_s was an understatement. "I just don't know, Little John."

Little John paused for a moment. "Look," he began with a more serious tone. "You know all the things the queen has done. She kills people, Robin. Tortures them. Burns down their villages. And just look at her, with all the riches in the kingdom. It's just not right for someone so evil to take away all that her subjects have. Think about all the people she's hurt, Robin. _We can help them._"

Robin stood silently for a moment, cursing Little John for knowing his weakness. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked Little John in the eye. "Okay, what's your plan?"

* * *

As Robin and his band prepared for the night's work out in edge of Sherwood Forest next to the queen's summer palace, Robin still wasn't sure if this was a good idea. He had come close to commanding everyone to turn back at least three times on the journey here. Nevertheless, somehow they had made it, and Robin called out in a loud whisper, "Men, are you ready?" They all nodded, and Robin turned back toward the castle. The castle appeared ominous, black against the black sky. Just as Little John had said, there were few guards since the queen was not present. Getting past them wouldn't be the hardest thing his men had ever done. Taking a deep breath, Robin motioned forward, and the Merry Men split up sneakily in formation to get past the gates. Robin, of course, had the most dangerous objective: get into the queen's chamber. At first he had been against the idea of going near there at all, but Little John insisted that it would be a waste to rob the queen's castle if they didn't rob her own chamber, where he claimed the "best stuff" was. Robin agreed only under the condition that he would be the only one to venture there.

Once successfully past the guards and inside the castle, Little John signaled to Robin that he and the other men would quietly search the castle. Robin acknowledged him and soon set out for the staircase Little John had described. (How Little John had known so much about the castle, Robin wasn't quite sure. Like all of his Merry Men, Little John had a mysterious past.)

The castle, having been largely unused for several months, felt cold and damp. Robin took hold of one of the torches upon the wall in order to better make out the darkness ahead of him. Upon finding the stairwell John had described, Robin began his ascent. After a few minutes of climbing stairs, he wasn't sure how the queen even managed, but at last he arrived at her chamber. The door was tall, wooden, and of course decorated with intricate motifs. _Only the rich could afford to encrust the doors with jewels,_ Robin thought as he slowly pushed it open with a slight creak and slipped inside.

The chamber was indeed large. From his dim torchlight, Robin could make out a wide bed with a canopy of drapes standing near the far corner. On the opposite wall was huge window overlooking the lake and forest, and next to it an enormous wardrobe, no doubt filled with the queen's many elaborate gowns. A large, full-length mirror followed, along with several other lavish furniture items. Robin grunted in annoyance. No doubt the queen had taken most of her valuables with her, but there had to be some things here he could more easily steal. The queen couldn't carry everything with her after all.

At last, Robin's eyes fell on a vanity on top of which sat a golden box encrusted with jewels and designs. Excitement ignited, and Robin quickly paced forward and opened it. Inside were any number of sparkling jewels. Probably not the queen's best jewels, he thought, but enough to feed a village for long enough. Robin quickly began scooping the jewels into a small pouch hanging off his belt. He envisioned the starving villages he had come across recently and imagined them full and happy. Doing this whenever he stole always kept him going, convincing himself he was doing the right thing.

After scouring the chamber for anything else of value, Robin heard a commotion from below. _Oh no_, he thought with a sinking feeling. Knowing that they had finally been caught, he prepared to make his escape. Robin patted himself to make sure he had everything and quickly drew his bow from his back just in case. Feeling confident that he could quickly make his escape, Robin turned back towards the entrance to the chamber…

…only to come face-to-face with perhaps the most terrifying woman he had ever seen. What he could make out of her deep red lips curled upward into a sneer, and her dark, painted eyes rose to meet his.

"Going somewhere?"

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_Thank you for reading! Please review so I can know what you think!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Hi guys! Thanks so much for all the favorites/follows/reviews! It means so much! Here's chapter 2. I'm kind of trying to do weekly updates, but I get so impatient (truth be told, I have a good chunk of the story written already, but I don't wanna publish it all at once in case I fall behind). Also for any of you wondering (I did get one question), this is before Robin has ever met Marian. Don't get me wrong, I think Marian is an important part of Robin's life and development, and I love Roland too but... this is the story about the Evil Queen and Robin Hood. So no messy love triangles. (: Enjoy!

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With the door slightly ajar, Regina slowly and quietly peered inside. A dim torchlight flickered through the darkness, only this time she could make out just who was holding it. From this angle, she distinguish a tall man with broad shoulders and a bow strapped to his back along with a quiver of arrows. He was turned away, but he wore a green leather tunic over a baggy white shirt and a green cape draped over his back. The whole scene felt strangely familiar to Regina.

She shook the stray thought and stealthily stepped through the doorway. The intruder hadn't yet noticed her, but upon the sound of a commotion from below – finally her guards were doing something useful, it seemed – he appeared to decide that it was time to leave. Regina braced herself as the intruder reached back for his bow and turned around almost straight into her.

Surprise and fear mixed together on his features. "Going somewhere?" she said with a slow grin. Through the dim torchlight Regina could make out a (she wouldn't say _handsome_) face. His eyes were pale and blue, and he had a well trimmed beard to match his short light brown hair. He had a very set way about his face, and his intense eyes bore into hers. Regina had only a moment to notice this, however, before the thief made a bolt for the door.

Regina quickly spun around and waved her hand, slamming the door shut. Stopping, the thief grabbed an arrow from his quiver and nocked it on his bow, pointing it straight at Regina, but before he could let it fly, she waved her hand once more, and a purple veil of mist settled around him, hindering his movements. The intruder struggled against the enchantment, but to no avail.

Satisfied, Regina paused , and her eyes fell upon a small pouch fastened around the intruder's waist. From inside it the faint glimmer shone through. "Are those my jewels?" Regina interrogated. She lunged forward and snatched the pouch. "How _dare _you!" She was tired, she was irritated, and now she was being robbed, and the whole situation was about to drive her mad. She began pacing back and forth as she spoke. "Who thinks they can come into _my_ castle when I'm away, break into _my_ chamber, and steal from me like I'm a simpleton!" Regina paused and stared at the thief, waiting for an answer. He merely struggled still against the binding spell, making muffled sounds as he tried to speak. Regina rolled her eyes, flicked a finger, and released the spell from his mouth. He gasped for air. "Well! Who are you!" she spat.

"Robin of Loxley," the thief panted after a moment of catching his breath. And yet somehow (the _nerve_) he managed a smirk and added, "At your service," with as much a bow of his head as he could muster.

Regina scoffed, raising her hand into a curved shape, choking him. His audacious little smirk twisted in pain. "Well, Robin of Loxley, what makes you think you can break into the queen's castle and get away with it!"

She released him once more to let him speak. He took his time gasping for air again. Still, after a moment he uttered, "Well, in my defense I was doing fairly well until you showed up early—"

"ENOUGH!" Regina bellowed, hands trembling as she balled them into fists. As if she had time or patience for sassy, impudent criminals. "Guards! GUARDS!"

"What are you going to do with me?" the thief rasped in a more serious and pleading tone than before.

Regina turned around. Oh, how she loved that question. With a slow smile, the queen stepped forward until she was only inches away from the bow and arrow he still held taught and stared straight into those intense, pale eyes. "What I always do to stuck up criminals who think they can outdo me," she enunciated, feeling the fire in her maniacal glare as she spoke. "I take off their heads."

The thief continued to stare boldly at her. Regina huffed, annoyed. The tension broke, and turning sharply away from him, she called out for her guards once more. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed up the stairs at last. "Yes, Your Majesty!" the guards said, having finally arrived at her chamber.

"Take this thief to his cell. He is to be beheaded in the morning," Regina said with a more passive tone, crossing her arms and backing away as the guards took hold of the thief.

"Er, You Majesty?" they said when they began having trouble moving him. "Oh," Regina said. She waved her hand and removed the binding spell.

And immediately regretted it.

The arrow that had been poised for shooting since the moment the thief had come under the spell left the bow with a _twang!_ It flew through the air and straight into the shoulder of one of the guards. The rest of the guards ducked and scrambled out of the way as the thief nocked another arrow and aimed it all around. Regina stepped forward to attack but was barely able to raise her hand before she was knocked aside by a flash of green as the thief went racing down the stairwell.

Growling in anger, Regina looked back to her guards, all of whom were recovering from the thief's surprise attack. "You buffoons! After him!" she ordered. The guards quickly scrambled up and stumbled down the stairwell (including the injured one with the help of a few others), but Regina knew they wouldn't be fast enough. Fury and frustration boiled up inside of her, having been outwitted so easily by a common thief. She rushed to the window overlooking the forest and stared down at the sight of an entire band of men escaping the castle gates, led no doubt by the Robin of Loxley, easily dodging arrows and outrunning her disheveled guards. Throwing the window open, Regina conjured a fireball and threw it at the band with a furious screech. It blasted down upon them with a great yellow glow, but once it had dissipated, the band continued onward with only charred clothing. They soon escaped into the forest, where no doubt they knew the territory well. Even her guards gave up once they had passed the gates.

Regina marched about, hands trembling, teeth grinding with anger, and chest hot with shame. She recalled the face of that overconfident, cunning thief and wished she could have just ripped out his heart when she had the chance. The way he so foolishly thought he could steal from the _queen_. She took a deep, shaking breath.

There was at least one consolation, Regina thought. He may have gotten away, but at least he didn't manage to steal her jewels. Reginareached down to her waist where she had strapped the pouch earlier. Her fingers grabbed at nothing but air, however, and when she glanced down she was met with nothing more than her gown. She thought back to when the thief had knocked her aside and she was fuming once more.

At last Regina abruptly halted her pacing in front of her vanity. "Mirror!" she snapped. A cloud of familiar blue smoke poured into the round mirror on the wall, and a shadowy face appeared.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" the face said in a solemn voice.

Regina took a moment to compose herself and walked slowly toward the mirror.

"Mirror. I need you to keep an eye out."

"Your Majesty I've told you, there's been no sign of Snow White. She knows to stay away from mirrors—"

"Not her!" Regina huffed indignantly. She glanced toward the window. "There's someone else. Someone who has stolen from me, humiliated me, and deserves to be punished."

"Who, Your Majesty?" the Mirror enquired with the slightest tone of curiosity.

Out of the corner of her eye, Regina noticed something left on the ground. Turning, she picked it up and found it to be an arrow that had been loosed by the thief just as he made his escape but never found its target. Examining it, she stepped back toward the window and gazed out into the forest where the thieves had fled. She snapped the arrow in half and it disintegrated to the floor.

"His name is Robin of Loxley."

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_Thanks for reading guys! Don't forget to review so I can know what you think/answer any questions/find out what y'all think will happen!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's** **note:** The first two chapters seemed a little short, so I went for a bit longer on this one. (:

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"The commoners call him Robin Hood, and he's a thief," the Mirror informed her early the next day. Regina was pacing about her chamber, eyes tired, still feeling disoriented since the previous night's events. Images of the thief mixed with frustration and a strange sense of familiarity like she was forgetting something had kept Regina tossing and turning all night. She decided in the end that finding and killing this Robin of Loxley would be the best (and of course, her typical) way to solve the problem. She turned the mirror incredulously.

"Oh is he now?" she sneered. "I couldn't tell!"

Mirror lowered his head in an accepting nod. "Yes, yes, Your Majesty. Please, let me finish. He's not just any thief."

Regina paused. "What do you mean? All thieves are the same! Lying, selfish, evil little—"

"Your Majesty, please!" Mirror begged. "By that I mean… This Robin Hood and his band do not steal from just anyone, nor do they steal for themselves. These 'Merry Men' as they call themselves steal only from the rich and give these riches to the poor."

Regina huffed. "Oh, so he's a thief with honor? He's only fooling himself! I don't care what he's stealing for. He stole from me, and he deserves to pay."

The Mirror nodded. "Of course, You Majesty." Regina waved her hand, and the Mirror's face disappated. She continued pacing, thinking of what she needed to do. She had come here in search of Snow White, but it looked like Regina would have to kill two birds with one stone. Feeling a new sense of conviction, Regina made her way downstairs and hailed for her carriage.

"Where to, Your Majesty?" the driver asked once she was inside.

"The nearest village," Regina replied. "Summon the black knights. We begin our search today, and this time, we're not just looking for Snow White."

* * *

"And would you believe it!" Little John exclaimed, his features and movements as well as the expressions of his audience intensified by the flickering campfire. "The Evil Queen had Robin Hood deep in her clutches. All hope had been lost it seemed, until –" Little John spread his arms wide, "— our revered Robin Hood used his mighty strength to break free from her magic spell! And with a mighty yell he shot every one of her guards, managing to escape only seconds before she transformed into a terrible fire breathing dragon! But escape he did, and with enough jewels combined with the gold taken by his faithful Merry Men to feed Sherwood Forest for a year!" The crowd of Merry Men around the campfire all cheered at the resolution of the tale. Little John bowed and sat down next to Robin as the band commence chattering among themselves.

Robin Hood looked at Little John. "Mighty strength? Fire breathing dragon? Come on, Little John. You know that's not how it went."

"Oh, come off it Robin. You know the men like a little more excitement. Besides, she may very well have transformed into a dragon! It's not unheard of, and there was that fireball."

Robin merely shook his head. "We may have gotten the gold, Little John," he said, "but it was at a far greater risk than I'm willing to take again."

"Oh for the thousandth time. I'm _sorry_!" Little John said exasperatedly. "I swear this was nothing more than a freak accident! The queen has never come this early before."

Robin looked at Little John once more. "That may be, Little John, but from now on, no more stealing from sorcerers. Especially evil ones who happen to rule the kingdom."

Robin's mind flashed back to that moment when he had come face-to-face with the Evil Queen. Her sharp eyes piercing him with every word she spoke, and with such conviction. Robin would never admit it out loud, but he had to admire the way she demanded respect, though she may not deserve it. He had to wonder if she was always like this, or if perhaps a time when those sharp eyes would soften, and that grimace would shift into a genuine smile untainted by malice.

Robin sighed. He supposed he would never know. With any luck, he would never have to come face-to-face with the queen again. However, after unexpectedly escaping from her clutches, Robin had a feeling the queen did not forgive so easily. He had already heard tales of her ruthless search for Snow White, and no doubt he had just made number two on her most wanted.

* * *

"Your Majesty, you must not become too frustrated."

"Oh shut up, Mirror!" Regina spat as she paced back and forth across her chamber, brow furrowed and mind racing. She had about had it with the Mirror and his judgments. "When your pride is almost stripped away completely then come talk to me."

The Mirror raised his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, whatever," Regina said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

It was two weeks since Regina had begun her search for Robin Hood, and despite her efforts, he always remained one step ahead. As Regina had feared, he knew Sherwood Forest well, and he and his band were always moving from place to place, leaving well-off villages in their wake.

"Your Majesty… perhaps it's time to forget about this common thief," Mirror suggested cautiously.

Regina whipped around. "Are you suggesting that I let him get away with this?" Regina shook her head, mouth drawn into an angry line. "He stole from me, Mirror, and I must set an example for all criminals who dare challenge me!"

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty," the Mirror conceded. "But… aren't you forgetting about Snow White? Isn't that why you came to this palace?"

Regina stopped and faced away from the Mirror. She glanced toward the window and bit her lip nervously. "I haven't forgotten! I'm searching for her too… along the way," Regina said defensively.

A warm sensation filled Regina's cheeks, though she wasn't quite sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. She wouldn't soon admit it, but Regina had almost forgotten about Snow White. For the past two weeks, all she could seem to think about was tracking down Robin Hood.

Regina stomach turned with that new and terrible feeling. The whole ordeal was strange and confusing. Things were so much simpler with the brat. Whenever Regina thought of capturing Snow White, the rage and malice in her heart flowed freely, and the longing for revenge drove her. This was what she knew, what she could direct.

The thought of Robin Hood, however, was… different. The image of the bold faced thief filled Regina with an intense sensation she couldn't quite pinpoint. Her heart raced and her blood boiled, but she couldn't quite say it occurred in the same way as with Snow White. Unfamiliarity mixed with familiarity, and Regina was left unsure of what to think. All she knew was that she had to find this thief and get him out of the way, even if it meant putting off Snow White for a little while longer. Once Robin Hood was dealt with, then she could get back to what she knew.

At least, that's what she had resolved.

After a moment, Regina turned back to the Mirror, her face composed. "You're right," she said at last.

The Mirror blinked. "I… am?"

Regina nodded, smiling. "Yes. I can't forget about the thief, but I do need to get this Robin Hood out of the way once and for all so I focus on Snow White once more."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Which means…?"

"Which means," Regina said, grinning more and more as the plan materialized in her mind. "If this Robin Hood really is so honorable, then it's time for the Evil Queen to make her official return to Sherwood Forest."

* * *

"Uh oh," murmured Little John. Robin glanced over to him as he and their band journeyed through the thick forest.

"What is it?" Robin inquired. Little John frowned at Robin for a moment before gesturing to the nearest tree with a piece of parchment nailed to the trunk.

Robin stepped closer, examining the parchment. Sketched upon its surface was quite an undeniable portrait of himself. Large, bold letters lined the top and bottom indicating his current wanted status. Robin nodded, and turned back to begin walking once more. This was certainly not the first wanted poster of himself he'd seen, and he knew it would not be the last.

Somehow Robin and his men had evaded the Evil Queen for two weeks. How they had accomplished this, he was not sure, for the queen it seemed spared no restraint in her search (or so he thought). Posters appeared everywhere, black knights were patrolling constantly, and the sound of any passing carriage sent terror into the hearts of the Merry Men.

Robin and his men took every precaution. They developed a method of quickly and erratically jumping from village to village, sharing their new wealth and leaving soon after. But it was only a matter of time, Robin thought, before the queen caught up with them. They would have to leave Sherwood Forest soon if they had any hope of staying out of the queen's clutches.

Despite Little John's reassurances, Robin couldn't help but feel they had gotten themselves into quite the predicament. When The Merry Men mentioned the queen to the villagers, there was always an uneasy silence. The terror she seemed to induce surprised even Robin. Despite having seen her first hand, Robin found it hard to believe that she could really be so evil. And even if she were as bad as everyone said, could it be possible she hadn't always been that way? Robin always believed that evil wasn't born, it was made. And it could be unmade, he hoped. Robin couldn't help but wonder, frequently, if the Evil Queen was really so evil deep down.

"Robin, we're here," Friar Tuck said, shaking Robin from his thoughts.

Indeed, up ahead through the thick of the trees, the nearest village was visible. They had been there only seven days prior, promising to come back in one week with more wealth to distribute.

The village was only about twenty yards ahead, but something out of place caught Robin's eye, and he signaled for his men to stop. Silence resonated with the ceasing of the men's footsteps and voices, and Robin could make out the faint sound of yelling. Through the trees a large group of people seemed to be crowded in the center of the village.

The blood left Robin's face as he realized what was happening, praying he was wrong. Heart pounding but keeping calm, Robin looked back at his men to raise his index finger to his lips and tip-toed forward. Being an expert at navigating the woods silently, he soon made it to a nearby tree unnoticed, and quickly climbed it to get a better view of the village.

Through the branches, Robin recognized a figure clad in red storming about. He slowly bent lower in order to get a clearer view of events.

He almost wished he hadn't.

"You think this is a joke?" That all-too-familiar demanding voice (that somehow pervaded many of Robin's dreams) echoed through the trees. A group of horses and a handful of black knights surrounded the village. The queen, dressed in an extravagant red riding dress had a short, middle-aged, balding man by the collar of his tunic with a fireball hovering closely below his neck while the rest of the village stood in a crowd nervously off to the side. Robin could barely make out the man's terrified expression as he did his best to stretch away from the fireball. When the man let out a short sob, the queen yanked him closer. "What, you think Robin Hood is a hero? He stole from me and now _you're_ paying for it. Does that seem _honorable_ to you!"

The man only sobbed, and villagers looked unsurely at each other.

The queen pushed the man away, and he stumbled to the ground with a cry, curling up into himself. The queen turned to face to other villagers, fireball still in hand. "If your precious thief is so honorable, then why isn't he here? Shouldn't he be protecting the people he gives away so thoughtlessly to?"

The villagers merely looked down silently.

"Robin Hood… may be a thief…" came a weak and pained voice. The man the queen had thrown down slowly wobbled up into a standing position, seeming to overflow with newfound bravery. "But he is far more honorable… than the queen…"

Regina spun back to face the man, teeth bare in a furious sneer. Without delay, two black knights stepped forward and grasped the man by each arm. He struggled against them, glaring at the queen.

"How dare you speak out against your queen?" Regina screeched. "I'll show you who is honorable! You peasants think Robin Hood was helping you by giving you what you don't deserve. But I tell you that it is because of _him,_ that if no one gives information about his whereabouts, I guarantee this village will be burned to the ground!" The queen's fireball flared up, and a gasp echoed throughout the crowd as families huddled closer together.

The villagers exchanged hesitant glances, shifting uncertainly. The queen waited, staring at them with wide, angry eyes.

_It's okay_, Robin thought, longing to speak out and encourage them. _Just tell them. _Robin and his men knew how to defend themselves. These villagers didn't.

Another beat passed.

"We'll never tell you, Evil Queen!" spat the same man held by the knights.

Regina slowly turned back towards the villagers. "Is that your final answer?" she said, every ounce of her tone demonstrating her intention to carry out exactly what she had promised.

Robin pleaded internally.

The villagers remained silent.

"Then so be it!" Regina exclaimed, fireball blazing. She made her way to the nearest cottage slowly, giving the villagers every chance to change their minds. She held her fireball just beneath the thatch roof. "A lot of good those riches did you."

Robin's heart sank. He knew what he had to do. Despite what the queen may think of him, he still had honor, and so help him if he were to let a whole village parish in his name.

Robin glanced down from his place in the tree at his Merry Men, who had heard the whole ordeal. His eyes met Little John's. Little John gave a slow nod, understanding what needed to happen, and Robin leaped down from the tree and into the clearing.

The villagers remained silent for a moment, shocked at Robin's sudden appearance, before erupting into joyous cheers. No doubt they were expecting Robin to fight off the Evil Queen and her black knights, saving them all and sending a noble message.

The black knights immediately drew their swords at the sight of Robin, but he kept his bow on his back, hands out, and looked straight at the queen.

The fireball disappeared from her hand. Her face was unsure at first, then calculating, and after a moment the queen's lips drew into that triumphant and devious smile Robin remembered all too well. She walked slowly toward Robin, raising a hand at her knights to remain still.

"Here to turn yourself over, are you?" she said. The villagers were bold enough to yell objections to the queen. He lip turned in annoyance, but she kept her eyes on Robin.

Robin looked at the faces of the frightened villagers, and then looked back to the queen. He raised his hands in surrender. "Yes."

The villagers yelled in protest. "No, Robin Hood! You can't!" the man who had stood up against the queen cried out.

Robin kept on looking at the queen as he spoke. "I may be a thief," he began, sparing a glance at the man, "but I have honor. I will not let an entire village die because of me."

The queen raised an eyebrow, examining Robin. Her eyes were contemplative and searching as she considered the affair, no doubt mentally preparing for anything while forming a plan of her own. "Well then," she said, breaking into a wide smile. "Works for me!_ Knights!_" The black knights came forward and surrounded Robin instantly, taking a tight hold of his arms and stripping him of his bow and quiver before he could even think of drawing them.

"And if _anyone_ even thinks of trying to save him, you can expect this village to be burned presently!" the queen announced without taking her eyes off Robin. Only she didn't seem to be speaking directly to the villagers, but to the surroundings in general. She had become aware of the Merry Men's proximity, but Robin Hood was grateful that he was her only concern.

With a jerk, the black knights pushed Robin along toward the horses tied to a nearby tree. He couldn't help but grimace as his hands were tied together and he was lifted roughly onto a horse. The knights soon took to their own horses, and the queen appeared from behind on a chestnut stallion.

"Good work today, men. I've always said results will come with just a little encouragement." She looked back at the villagers with that victorious smile. "Ta-ta!" she said with a wave of her hand, kicking off her horse and signaling for the rest of the knights to follow her.

As Robin was escorted by the surrounding knights, leaving his Merry Men and a traumatized village in his wake, all he could think was how wrong he had been about there being good in the queen.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Your reviews give me life!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: **Sorry this chapter is a teensy bit late! I had actually taken it in a different direction originally, but then I decided on something different and of course had to rewrite it over time, and I've been very busy this week. But here it is! Also, as we learned from the latest OUAT episode (**spoilers**, other than the AMAZING kiss), Robin didn't actually become a noble thief until he met Marian. Obviously that's not how it is here. I guess that's what makes an AU an AU right? (: Enjoy!

* * *

Regina couldn't help but bask for a moment in her own triumph. Why she'd reserved this tactic for so long, she couldn't say. Now she could simply have the thief executed and the whole ordeal would be yesterday's news. There was no use in capturing the rest of the thief's band. No doubt as their leader he was also their prime motivator, and his death would lead to their dissolution. Then she could focus on what was really important.

Her happy ending.

When at last they reached the palace, she ordered her knights to take the thief to his cell. She glanced back at the thief to see his expression.

He was hard to make out among surrounding knights, but Regina was able to see that his head was bowed in defeat. She felt satisfied until she saw that his eyes were lifted and… right on her.

His eyes had this look about them – he seemed at first to be glaring in anger at her (understandable – she was about to kill him), but then they also had this sad look. She couldn't call it defeated. Rather… disappointed.

She frowned, dissatisfied. "He dies tonight," she sneered.

"A public execution, Your Majesty?" inquired a knight.

Regina continued watching the thief as he was escorted rather roughly into the palace. A public execution would certainly make a point to the people, she thought. But despite her excuses of making him an example, Regina knew deep down that this was personal. She needed to let this thief know exactly who he had dared challenge before he was punished.

"No," she said at last as the thief disappeared into the dungeon. "This needs to be a private affair."

* * *

When Regina arrived in the dungeon early that evening, the thief was asleep. How foolish, she thought, to waste your final precious hours _sleeping_.

But then, she supposed, why should she care?

Next to the cell a sort of miniature black knight stood guard. Regina said in a hushed voice, "What are you doing here? Where is your father?"

The boy was one of her knights' sons, whom she let bring to his duties with him, and whom she secretly rather loved to spoil.

"He went somewhere… He told me to keep watch."

Regina pursed her lips. Clearly his father had not counted on her arriving so early, but she didn't have time to punish him right now. "Well you can go now, Dear."

The boy's eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously. "Father said not to leave for any reason."

Regina raised her eyebrows. "Not even if the queen orders you to?"

The boy looked down. "Well…"

Regina glanced over at the sleeping thief, and then looked at the child. "Last I heard, there were some apple pastries fresh in the kitchen," she said with a smile and a wink.

His eyes widened as he gasped excitedly. "Really, Your Majesty? Oh, thank you!" the boy scurried quickly out of the dungeon, leaving Regina alone with the thief. Regina smiled to herself, her heart a little warmer.

"Who knew The Evil Queen had a soft spot for children."

Regina jumped in surprise and spun around to face the thief, now sitting up and grinning mischievously at her.

Regina frowned and tried to look away to hide her embarrassment because staring right back at her was that smug expression. The same expression he had during their first encounter that made her teeth clench and her shoulders tense. And there was that feeling in her heart again. An aching, a pounding, a tugging. Something she still didn't understand but had decided to interpret as hatred.

"You don't know anything about me," she growled.

The thief stood up. His hands were shackled together, and his foot chained to the wall, but he was still able to step up to the bars only a foot or two from Regina.

"I know," he said, examining her carefully, "that a woman, who would one moment threaten to destroy an entire village, would offer sweets to a young boy on the very same day."

Regina scoffed. "And what of you? A thief with honor? There's a contradiction if I ever heard one." The thief chuckled, and it made Regina hot with anger. "What are you laughing at?" she snapped.

The thief's soft blue eyes met hers and a crooked smile spread across his face. "The Evil Queen has a heart…"

Regina shook her head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, would you prefer I broke the boy's neck in front of you?"

The thief continued smiling for a moment but then looked at Regina more seriously. She couldn't help but notice how close they were, though the bars separated them, and how intensely he stared at her, and how it made her heart rush.

"You know, I really was starting to think you didn't have a heart after all."

Regina blinked, speechless for a moment. She turned away, shutting her eyes tightly. Every retort and witty comeback vanished, and all she could think of was how this criminal was talking about her humanity when he was about to die by her own hand. It had been a long, long time since anyone had spoken to her the way he just had.

But of course, she soon realized. This was a thief. And this, no doubt, was a trick to soften her up. Who else would be acting so confident shortly before their execution unless they were planning to escape somehow?

"I don't suppose you could loosen these shackles a bit. They're a bit rusty—"

"Enough, you worthless thief!" Regina huffed, spinning around to face him. At the sight of her expression, the thief took several steps back. "I know what you're thinking," Regina began, putting her face closer to the bars of the cell and balling her hands into fists. "You think you'll get out of this one, like you always do. Yes, the great and heroic _Robin of Loxley_, outlaw protector of Sherwood Forest." Regina paused and looked straight into the thief's intense eyes, summoning every vengeful sense of her being. "Well I have news for you, Robin Hood. No one is coming to rescue you. You're not going to make your big, noble escape. You are going to die, and that will be the end of your 'honorable' yet meaningless crusade!"

Without a moment spared for the thief's response, Regina plunged her hand into his chest. His face twisted as he gargled in pain.

The time for witty retorts was over. Regina was done playing games. She was done obsessing over this thief who shouldn't have bothered her as much as he did. She was done with the strange feelings. She was done focusing on anything but her revenge against Snow White.

With a satisfying _yank!_, Regina pulled the heart from the thief's chest. As he struggled to recover, he stared wide-eyed at the beating, glowing orb. Regina looked down at it. She was surprised to find that it was no pure and red heart like Snow White's, but with a fair amount of darkness swirling inside. Regina looked upward at the thief, examining his features, searching for an explanation. The thief looked at her. "Everyone has a dark past," he murmured. His gaze was boring into Regina's, but she soon returned her attention to the heart.

Despite the darkness swirling within, the heart had a seemingly intense glow, unlike most of the hearts she'd collected. Regina's eyes softened for a moment, entranced. The heart felt especially warm in her hands. Then she noticed something else… her own heart inside her. It was fluttering and hot.

After a moment, Regina shook herself. Now was the time to be crushing the heart, not gawking at it.

Her fingers twitched, but something seemed to be stopping Regina from simply squeezing it into dust.

"Is there something wrong?" the thief asked. Regina was about to snap at him when she glanced down at his hands still gripping the cell bars.

The shackles around his wrists had pushed his sleeves back a bit, and barely visible was an indistinct black shape on his right forearm.

Regina's fingers twitched again.

_No…_

Regina looked at the heart in her hand once more, but with a clench of her teeth she found herself staring back at the thief's forearm. He followed her gaze and lifted his hands, still shackled, in confusion. His sleeve fell back a few more inches, and from under them appeared a black shield shape with the crest of a lion etched inside.

"_There he is, the guy with the lion tattoo."_

Regina's hand fell slack, practically shaking. Her heart was pounding at this point, and she dared to look at the thief's face. His expression was hard and bewildered.

The blood had drained from Regina's lips, and at last she stepped toward the thief. He continued to stare at her until she took a deep breath and plunged the heart back into his chest. He doubled over in pain, letting out a stifled breath.

With a wave of her hand, the shackles fell from his hands and feet, and the cell door swung open. Regina turned to face the wall.

"Your Maj – ?"

"Go."

She could sense the thief look at her for a moment, but she couldn't bring herself to look back.

"Well what are you waiting for? Hurry! It's not a trick! I never want to see you again."

The thief –_ Robin Hood_ – hesitated a moment more before unsurely making his way out of the cell, pausing another moment to look at her from behind before running the rest of the way out of the dungeons. Regina wasn't worried that he would be caught – he'd escaped her castle once, and he could do it again.

Regina stood still, staring at a singular brick in the wall for what seemed like ages. When his footsteps finally faded into silence, Regina let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and her mind began to race.

_Lion tattoo… lion tattoo…_

Surely there were other men with lion tattoos…

Regina nodded slowly to herself. Of course, she thought. For all she knew all the Merry Men had lion tattoos, or it was a family crest.

But despite her rationalizations, Regina couldn't help but think back to that day, when she had a choice. A choice to choose happiness over revenge. A choice she couldn't regret because anger was all she had.

And now this thief had broken –literally – into her life and made her question everything she had decided when she embraced that darkness.

She had to let him go. Even if he wasn't the man, she couldn't have that prodding her any longer. She needed to focus on what could truly make her happy, and anyone who got in the way would be brushed aside immediately.

"Your Majesty?" came a deep, familiar voice. The boy's father. He saw the empty cell. "Your Majesty! I – I was only going to be gone for a moment – I left my son – I –"

Regina shook her head, still not looking at him. "No… No it wasn't you."

The guard was silent for a moment. "Your Majesty?" he said slowly.

"I… I let him go."

* * *

When Robin finally found his Merry Men aiding the traumatized citizens of the nearby village, his mind was still racing from all that had just happened. Somehow he had managed to sneak out of the castle and journey on foot to the village he was captured in.

He traveled as if in a trance, his mind racing to process recent events. One minute the queen was a ruthless tyrant, the next she was talking sweetly to a young boy. One minute she was about to crush his heart, the next she was letting him go. If there's one thing he knew about The Evil Queen, it was that she was much more than she seemed.

"Robin!" exclaimed Little John as Robin strode clumsily into the village. Little John rushed towards him and grasped his shoulders, trying to get a good look at his face. "Robin, what happened? Did you escape? Will the queen be back?"

Robin stared at the ground for a moment longer before slowly raising his eyes to meet Little John's. "The queen…" he murmured. "She… let me go."

Little's John's eyes widened as a crowd of Merry Men and villagers began to surround them. "Let you go? But why? How?"

Robin thought back to his red, beating heart in the queen's hands, the utter anger and malice with which she swore to kill him. The strangest thing was… he had been afraid, but not really. Though she held his heart in her hand about to crush it, he somehow felt like this wasn't the end. The entire time she held his heart, it was if he could feel it in her hand, and it felt hotter than ever. And somehow this gut feeling had been right. The queen must have felt something too, he decided, because though he was sure she's crushed many hearts in her lifetime, she hesitated, as if she couldn't. And then she looked at his arm… his tattoo? And suddenly she was ordering him to go. He thought it might be a trick, but it soon became apparent that she wanted him gone.

"Robin?" Little John said, bringing Robin back out of his memories. He looked up at his trusted friend and grimaced.

"_I never want to see you again,"_ she had said.

"Little John, it's time to leave Sherwood Forest."

* * *

_Thank you for reading! All of your reviews have been so kind. Some of them just make me so pleased, and I want to reply, but you post them as guests! So I must express my gratitude here. Thank you so, so much for your kindness. It really keeps me going!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:** A little late, I know, but it's getting a bit harder to write at this point in the story. But fear not, I am determined to finish it in a timely manner for you all. (: You thought perhaps Regina letting Robin go was the last they'd see of each other? Think again! (I know none of you probably thought that, haha.) Enjoy!

* * *

Three months.

It had been three months since Regina let the thief go.

But who was counting, anyway?

Try as she might to forget, day after day the image of the lion tattooed on his forearm haunted Regina. She convinced herself that there are plenty of men with lion tattoos, pixie dust does lie, she's perfectly happy living in hatred and revenge.

Still, it seemed as though that lion crest wasn't so much tattooed on the thief's forearm as it was on the inside of Regina's eyelids.

Ever since Regina had released Robin Hood, there had been no sign of the thief. She was intrigued that he actually obeyed her command to stay out of her sight.

(Not that he actually stayed out of her sight whether he was physically present or not.)

Regina groaned in frustration that she was even thinking about this. "Driver!" she shouted out the window of the carriage. "Aren't we _there yet?_"

"The next inn is in a few short miles, Your Majesty!" the driver yelped, whipping the horses along. Regina huffed. After three months of fruitless Snow White searching, at last she had decided to take a personal vacation to the eastern sea. Just a few weeks, she told herself. It would be like she wasn't even gone. In fact, in order to ensure that hardly anyone knew she was gone or even traveling, she made sure to travel in a smaller carriage as opposed to her typical large, very regal one, and avoided using the royal road.

"Your Majesty, you've never taken a personal vacation since you began the search for Snow White," the Mirror had said as Regina paced about her chamber.

"Which is exactly why I need one! It will only be a few weeks. I need this time to rejuvenate and reorganize. When I return I will be more fresh and determined than ever before."

At least, that's what she had told the Mirror. And herself.

But if she were honest, she knew that this trip was to try and take a moment to just relax and forget about the past and what could have been. She needed to take a while to remember why she did what she did, chose what she chose.

As she stared out the window of her carriage at the slowly darkening forest blurring past, Regina couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of déjà vu, and she began to feel drowsy. But she dared not dream in fear of the thief appearing once more.

Not that that was a common occurrence or anything.

Yet somehow, amidst the rumble of the road and the less-than-comfortable arrangement of this common carriage, Regina drifted into a much more familiar place surrounded by the scent of hay and the soft thump of hooves on dirt. The warmth of an embrace as she, young and hopeful, fell into the stable boy's arms. The feeling of his hand against hers as they turned to run out of the stable, the metal of the makeshift brass ring he had given her cold against her finger. The terror that shot through her soul at the sight of her mother. The utter distress as Cora stepped forward and plunged her hand into Daniel's chest and ripped out his heart.

"Mother no!" Regina cried out. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but when she reached out to stop her, Cora was nowhere to be found, and it was Regina grasping the heart. And when she looked up at Daniel, his face was no longer his own, but the thief's.

"No! _No!_" Regina sobbed, dropping the heart to the ground. She curled into herself, falling to her knees as the thief stared at her with that same furrowed brow.

"Daniel!" she shrieked. "Daniel…"

Regina's eyes shot open and she lurched forward, breathing frantically. A beat passed. A dream, Regina realized.

But something was different. Instead of the familiar bump and roll of the carriage, everything was dark and still. The carriage was no longer moving. Regina called out to the driver. When she received no response, she reached for the door, but it swung open before she could touch the handle.

A blur of dark figures piled into the cramped carriage, surrounding Regina. Still groggy and disoriented, something grasped Regina's arm and slung her out of her seat in time to witness several shadowy figures in the trees land with a collective_ thunk_ on the carriage roof. Regina moved to stop them, but her hands were being held behind her back tightly by whoever had dragged her out of the carriage.

"What do you think you're doing?" Regina commanded, but her voice was still slow and rough from sleep, and the figures continued to scour her carriage. She was being robbed, she realized. What was she doing? She should be making trees fall on these insolent bandits. Regina took a moment to orient herself before stomping hard on her captor's foot. He screamed out in pain as Regina began a complex hand motion to begin the spell.

"She's got magic!" someone cried out, and before she could crack a single branch, she heard a distinctive _twang_, and a sharp pain exploded in Regina's thigh. She fell to her knees with a screech. When Regina looked down, a long wooden arrow had found its way into her leg. She reached down to touch it and was met with a handful of blood.

Regina tried to stand up, but the pain was too great. Someone had taken hold of her hands again, and for the first time in a long time, Regina felt utterly helpless, and it drove her crazy. She was the queen, a powerful sorceress, and here she was watching tired, injured, and defenseless as a band of thieves looted her carriage when all she wanted was a vacation.

After a while, Regina began to feel feverish and lightheaded from blood loss. She had long given up on resisting her captor, and things were becoming gradually quieter as one by one the thieves made off with, well, everything. At last, only three figures remained. One was large and fat, the other tall and skinny, and the one in the middle well-built. Regina clenched her teeth, ready to spew every insult she could with the little energy she had left.

"Apologies, Milady," came a familiar, accented voice, and Regina nearly fainted right then and there. "We wouldn't have robbed you if we'd known you were a magician. Luckily everything worked…" the thief trailed off as he approached Regina and she raised her face to the moonlight to stare right into those powerful pale eyes.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

* * *

Three months.

It had been three months since the queen had released Robin and he and his men left Sherwood Forest for the time being.

Three months of restless nights trying to understand the complexity of this woman, trying to figure out why she'd let him go after seeming so bent on killing him as soon as possible.

Three months of trying to simply forget about her and follow her order never to let her see him again.

And yet here he was, staring straight into her eyes, tired, but still sharp as ever.

"Surprised to see me?" she said in her usual tone, only Robin could tell she was weak and tired. When he glanced down, he saw the arrow lodged in her thigh and the blood slowly staining her clothes and the soil beneath her. The arrow he had shot.

"You're injured," was all he could think to say.

"I'm… fine…" the queen panted, but she was swaying on her knees and promptly fell to the ground unconscious.

Robin chewed his lip, a strong sense of guilt settling over him.

He really had tried to stay out of the queen's way, but that wasn't going to stop him and his men from doing what they did best. So when a rather wealthy looking and unguarded carriage came rumbling down the road, Robin never imagined that it could be _her_ inside. And of course at the mention of this being a sorceress they had robbed, Robin knew better then to let her use that against them, so he let his arrow fly without a second thought.

But, as it turned out, he, the honorable thief, had stolen from the queen, again, and injured her as well, and now she lay unconscious. He couldn't help but feel pity for the great and terrible Evil Queen so completely vulnerable at his feet, and all his doing.

"What shall we do with her?" asked the Merry Man who had been previously restraining her. They all knew who they were dealing with now. "I'm sure the whole kingdom would benefit if she were to go mysteriously missing – "

"No," Robin said firmly. "I… I did this. I shot her, and now she can't even stand up."

"What are you saying, Rob?" Little John asked incredulously. "We should nurse her back to health?" He chuckled.

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Everyone stood silent.

Friar Tuck was the first to speak. "Robin, I know you may feel as though you owe her some debt, but this is the Evil Queen, we're talking about – "

"Not just the Evil Queen," Robin insisted. "This is a woman whom we – I – attacked and injured. Evil Queen she may be, but she showed me mercy when I didn't deserve it."

"Robin – "

"No! I will hear no more of it. Are you a thief with honor or not? We may steal from the rich, but that doesn't mean we leave them to die, no matter who they are." Robin looked pointedly at each one of the surrounding men. "Take her back to the camp."

When no one budged, Robin braced to repeat himself, but something stopped him. He looked down and took a deep breath, realizing with a pang that this was his responsibility.

Slowly, he bent down and positioned his arms under the queen's body. He heaved her up, careful not to disturb the arrow protruding from her thigh, and walked briskly into the woods, knowing that time was of the essence.

The remaining Merry Men followed behind at a distance. Robin's arms grew tired along the journey, but he managed to carry the queen nonetheless, and when they arrived at the camp, he was quick to take her to his tent and lay her on his bedroll.

"Go get Arthur," Robin instructed Friar Tuck. Arthur, being a former apothecary, was about the closest thing they had to a doctor.

Friar Tuck turned to leave but hesitated. "Robin… are you sure?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Robin replied. "And no one is to lay a hand on the queen while she is here. If they do, they will answer to me. Do you hear that?"

Friar Tuck nodded before ducking out of the tent. The next thing Robin knew, he was alone in his tent with an unconscious queen. He couldn't exactly leave her there, he thought, but the whole situation felt utterly strange.

It was dark, but by the moonlight streaming through the tent he could barely make out her face, and all he could think was that without the scowl she constantly wore, she didn't look particularly evil.

* * *

Regina awoke with a start. She was surrounded by a low green cloth illuminated by white sunlight seeping through an opening. The air was chilly, but a thin blanket covered her, and she realized she was wearing different clothes from the night before. Her ornate black gown had been replaced by a simple brown dress. Her whole body was hot and shaky, and when she tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot up from her leg, and she screeched.

It was only a moment before someone rushed into the tent. Not just anyone, of course, but the familiar built figure shrouded in his signature green. The previous nights events came rushing back.

"You!" Regina spat upon the seeing the thief. She tried to push herself away from him, but it only made the pain worse, and she cried out.

"Milady!" the thief shouted, kneeling down beside her in the cramped space. "Please, calm down! It's all right, I won't hurt you!"

Regina scoffed, swallowing back the pain. "I'm not _afraid_ of you," she sneered.

The thief frowned. "Then why are you trying to get away?"

Regina managed to wipe a stream of sweat from her brow and shook her head vigorously and shutting her eyes tight, mind racing to think of anything but the answer. "What's going on? Where am I? What are you doing to me?" she said, changing the subject.

She spared a glance at the thief, who cast his eyes downward as he spoke. "Last night… We ambushed your carriage, remember? And I… I shot you with an arrow. And then you passed out."

Regina's face grew hot with shame at how that must have looked. And here she was now, which meant someone must have carried her.

Regina avoided all thought of who was granted such a task.

"Anyway, now you're at our camp."

Regina thought for a moment. "So… you cared for me? Why?" She had tried to kill him, after all. Threatened villages in his name. Ripped out his heart, even, though in her defense she put it back.

The thief rubbed his neck nervously. "I…" He sighed. "I didn't know it was your carriage. I didn't know it was you," he admitted. "I shot you, and… I owe you a debt."

Regina frowned. "A debt? After I tried to kill you?"

"But then you let me go, though I'm still not quite sure why."

Regina sat silently for a moment, and then began to sit up. "Well, it seems I'll have to be going then," she grunted. She shifted her leg to stand up and again a fresh and harsh pain shuddered through her body, and she cried out. When she glanced down, she found that the arrow from the night before was gone, and when she lifted her skirt just high enough, she saw that it had been replaced by several tight strips of cloth wrapped around her thigh, a red stain seeping through them.

"You can't travel in your condition, Milady."

Regina huffed and shifted uncomfortably for a moment before glancing back down at her leg. "Who did this?" she asked, gesturing to the bandage.

"That would be Arthur. He's… something of a doctor. It's a good thing you were unconscious, or else you would've had to endure the pain of his removing the arrow."

Regina's eyes grew wide. "_Something_ of a doctor? I'll be lucky if my leg doesn't fall off!" she groaned.

The thief threw up his hands. "Well then why don't you heal yourself with some sort of… spell or something!"

Regina froze for a moment letting out another exhausted sigh as she pressed her palm to her face.

"What is it?"

Regina ground her teeth for a moment and took a deep breath before replying. "I'm not exactly fluent in healing magic," she said flatly.

The thief raised an eyebrow. "But you're a skilled sorceress… shouldn't you be able to– "

"I know, I know! I just always spent more time inflicting pain than taking it away, okay? Oh I knew I should've listened to Rumplestiltskin when he said to always know it just in case…" Regina massaged her temples, more annoyed at herself than anyone at this point. And man who shot her was standing in the tent.

"So what, you don't have any spell books you can just look at?" the thief enquired.

"Yes," Regina replied. "In my castle."

The thief pursed his lips. "Well. This changes plans."

Regina almost laughed. "Oh, sorry for ruining your week when you robbed and then _shot me_!" She sat back, her frustration doing little to help her ignore the pain. She sat up once more. "Wait, my carriage, we can take it– " The thief shook his head. "What is it this time?" Regina demanded.

"You really think the carriage simply remained untouched overnight?"

Regina let out a long breath. A million things ran through her mind at that moment, but in the end all she could think to do was simply lie back down once more. After a long pause, she said through clenched teeth, "So now what?"

The thief sighed and examined the ground for a long moment. "Now… I suppose you'll be staying with us until you can travel."

Regina balled her hands into fists and stared at the canvas of the tent above her. "I can't believe I'm stuck in a camp of peasant merry freaks, no less with the thief who has robbed me twice now, even after I let him go and hoped never to see again."

She expected him to make some remark about her having to deal with it, but he caught her off guard with, "Why did you let me go?"

Regina froze, at a complete loss for words. _Oh, that was just because I felt like something was physically stopping me from crushing your heart, and then I saw your tattoo, and, well, there's a chance you're my soul mate and well it freaked me out so here we are._ Yes, that would bode well.

After a long silence, she played with the skirt of her dress and changed the subject. "And where did these rags come from?" she asked.

The thief narrowed his eyes, clearly noticing that she hadn't answered his question, but he didn't push her further. "The Merry Men are not completely lacking in female companions," he explained. "That was Dave's wife's. Arthur changed your clothes when he tended your wound. He said your gown was too blood soaked and constricting."

Great, she thought. Live with the peasants, look like the peasants. "How long? Until I can travel?" Regina asked, hoping to leave as soon as possible.

The thief sighed. "Arthur said it would be a few weeks." Well, there went her vacation. "And," the thief continued, taking on a more serious tone, "if you use an ounce of magic on anyone while you're here, you can forget about us helping you."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Thief. You won't have to worry about me." Another moment of silence, then, "Well, aren't you going to feed me something?"

The thief looked at her for a moment before at last bowing his head. "Yes. Of course, Milady."

"It's Your Majesty."

* * *

The queen was proving to be rather… difficult. Amidst the constant complaints, the insults, the threats, Robin had to remind himself quite often why he was doing this. _Because it's the right thing to do_, he thought again and again.

It had been only a day since the queen had become the resident invalid, and she wasn't taking it well. She asked to be moved into a larger tent, and when Robin informed her that this was the largest they had, she demanded to at least be moved outside. In the end, she wound up beside a tree beneath a small canopy. Robin was at least thankful that he got his tent back, though when he slept in it that night he found that it still had her scent (sweet like apples, but with a bit of spice).

The Merry Men had been handling her relatively well. Of course, without Robin's strict orders, there would likely be chaos, but they knew better than to test their leader's resolve. He had to admit, however, it was hard when the queen was constantly bombarding them with references to their 'dishonest' profession and mistrust at what she considered feigned nobility. Robin managed to brush it off, but he wasn't sure how much longer his men could take it. Arthur, in particular, could be found murmuring profanities under his breath every time he stormed away from a check up on the queen.

On the bright side, once her needs were met, the queen remained relatively out of the way in her little corner of the woods. That's where she was now, anyway, appearing to be deep in thought as Robin gathered bits of firewood nearby. He knew better than to speak to her – the queen seemed to hold a particular grudge against him for some reason. Of course, he had robbed her twice and injured her, but she treated him with particular animosity when she wasn't avoiding him altogether.

Still, it was strange that the queen of the kingdom was taking up residence in his camp. In the brown dress, she could almost pass for a peasant, he thought, providing she didn't speak. Her regal tone gave her away.

"Thief!" she called out. Robin turned towards her, surprised. She hardly ever addressed him.

"You know, I do have a name, Your Majesty," he informed as he approached her curiously.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, _Robin Hood_. Anyway, I think I have a plan."

Robin blinked in surprise. "A plan? For what, dare I ask?"

"To get me out of here!" she said as if it were obvious. He supposed it was.

"Oh? Did you remember a spell?"

She shook her head. "No, but I remembered something else. If my bearings are correct, then not far from here there should be a waterfall. Legend has it that this waterfall has healing properties. Nothing major, but at least enough to speed the healing process of my wound along, if not heal it completely."

Robin pondered this for a moment as he knelt down beside the queen (close, but not too close). "Okay, so I simply journey to this nearby waterfall and bring some water back?"

The queen sighed. "It's not that simple. The water only works when it's rushing down the waterfall. Otherwise don't you think I'd be exporting it by now?"

Robin blinked. "So…"

"So I must come along."

Robin shook his head. "No, no, no, Your Majesty. I told you, you're in no condition to travel."

The queen slammed her hands down in frustration. "It's not like we're going all the way back to the castle!" she griped. Her shoulders rose and fell as she took a moment to collect herself. "Look, I told you, it's not that far. A few miles. I can manage. Slowly." She grabbed one of the nearby sticks Robin had been collecting. It was rather long, and it smoothly curved flat at one end to form a sort of T. "Perhaps with this," she said. "As a crutch."

Robin let out an exhausted breath as he began to stand back up. "Your Majesty, I simply can't—"

"You can and you will!" the queen demanded. Her lips were pursed and her eyes intense. Even without her usual severe makeup, her expression was commanding and difficult to disobey.

Robin shut his eyes and clenched his teeth for a moment before looking back at the queen. "Very well," he conceded. "We shall leave in the morning."

The queen grunted in disgust. "I'd rather not have to spend another night in this filthy peasant commune."

"The feeling is mutual."

But as Robin walked away, though he felt he should consider the queen's accelerated departure a blessing, he couldn't help but feel a strange emptiness at the idea.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed it! Next up is the spiritual journey of bonding. Please review so I know what you think!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:** Sorry again fore lateness. Finals are next week. :( However, first and foremost I would like to assure readers that I have experienced the pain of a story that never updates, and I will do my best to update as often as possible. (: In other news, thank you all SO MUCH for your reviews. I read every single one. I take every one into consideration, and might even use ideas or address certain things you all have pointed out. Reviews make stories better. That's what they're for! So thank you! Please enjoy this new chapter...

* * *

They left quietly the next morning. As far as Regina knew, the thief had left a note for his men informing them of their journey, but didn't want anyone to make a fuss over him going out alone with the Evil Queen. He then gathered some supplies, and they were off.

Step by step.

The crutch helped, but Regina had to hobble very slowly along as the thief walked patiently beside her. He offered a hand to her frequently, but she brushed him off every time.

"You Majesty, if you would just let me help—"

"I don't need your help, Thief," Regina snapped as she carefully placed her crutch before her and took a step forward. She thought she was finally getting the hang of it when her crutch slipped on the leaves and she tried to catch herself with her injured leg.

"Your Majesty!" the thief exclaimed at her yelp of pain. He grasped her shoulder to help balance her once more, but she shook it off, swallowing back tears. He sighed and stepped away from her once more.

Regina focused solely on not crying from pain in front of the thief as they slowly made their way across the forest, which was just warming up as the sun peeked its way through the morning mist.

"You know," Regina grunted as they made their way, "This wouldn't be happening if you hadn't shot me."

The thief sighed. "Shall we take a break?" he asked, gesturing to a nearby tree. They had taken three breaks already in the past hour, but Regina's pain was starting to overpower her pride, and she hobbled over to the tree and carefully sat down against it, breathing deeply and taking a drink from the canteen the thief had provided her.

After a moment of silence as they (Regina) caught their breaths, the thief spoke up. "I really am sorry, you know. For everything."

Regina immediately rolled her eyes and spared him a look of disdain. "Are you, Thief? I don't think you realize what you've done here."

"I know, I know! I shot the queen!" the thief said exasperatedly as he shook his head. "But I said I'm sorry! And I'm helping you. Isn't that enough?"

"I'm not just talking about that," Regina replied, shifting her tone. "I may be the 'Evil Queen,' but you didn't know that. For all you knew I was an innocent civilian trying to defend myself against a band of thieves. You could have killed me. Killing an innocent traveler doesn't sound very noble to me."

"I was defending my men!" the thief argued, clearly surprised by Regina's accusation.

Regina shrugged, taking another swig from her canteen. "Call it what you want, but the fact remains. Your precious code isn't as infallible as you think."

The thief stood up. "And who are you to talk? You're the Evil Queen! You've killed hundreds of innocent people!"

Regina didn't move to stand, but she raised her gaze to meet the thief's, staring hard into his eyes as she delivered her response with conviction in each word. "At least I own up to my actions. You're a 'noble thief,' but I'm the Evil Queen. No one questions whether what I do is honorable and good."

The thief stood silently, hands balled at his sides as he stared back a Regina. Finally, he looked away and relaxed his fists, though his shoulders were still tense. "Let's keep going," he said, his voice hard.

He turned back to offer his hand to Regina. She examined it a moment before taking it, and he lifted her to her feet.

* * *

"We're lost, aren't we?"

It had been several hours since their journey began. The sun was beginning to set, and Robin nervously eyed a mass of dark storm clouds rolling in. Sure, the queen was traveling at a rather slow pace, but if she had been correct in saying their destination was only a few miles, they should have been there by now. At this rate they'd never get back to camp before nightfall. They'd have to find shelter before a storm hit.

The queen huffed indignantly. "It was supposed to be around here!" she bit back, but after a moment she let out a defeated sigh and glanced around. "I thought I knew where we were. We should be close."

Robins threw his hand into the air. "This is pointless! We need to find shelter now!"

The queen whipped her head around to give him a hard glare. He almost shrank back a little but was able to hold his ground and stare right back. Apart from her usual difficulties, she had managed to really anger him with her earlier comment on his nobility. After all, how could she, the _Evil Queen_, say that he was going about helping the poor _the wrong way_? Having had a few hours to fume about it internally, now was probably not the time to be letting it all out, but it was too late to change that.

"Pardon me, Thief, would you prefer it if I just broke your neck right now?" the queen said without a single shift in her sharp eyes staring daggers right through him.

Robin wasn't taking that anymore. He took a few steps closer to the queen. "You won't," he challenged.

The queen's eyes widened in surprise, but they didn't lose an ounce of malice. "And what on earth makes you think that, Thief?" she said, slowly turning to face him fully.

Robin continued stepping towards her until they were nearly nose to nose. He narrowed his eyes and was almost smiling as he replied. "Because you've already tried. You had my heart in the palm of your hand and you wouldn't – couldn't? crush it." He clenched his jaw as they continued to stare unblinking at each other. He tried his best to keep his gaze unmoving, but he couldn't help but flick his eyes about the soft contours of her face sat into an eternal glare. "You won't tell me why, but for whatever reason, you can't kill me. So enough with the empty threats."

The queen's piercing gaze persisted and she opened her mouth to reply, but they were interrupted by a sudden clap of thunder. They both turned from each other to stare up at the huge dark clouds that had long covered the setting sun and flickered with lightning.

"We need to find shelter, now," Robin said firmly. The queen started to object, but he grasped her arm and stared hard into her eyes. "Now."

This time she didn't protest, but she yanked her arm away from his grasp as they both began walking hastily off the path and into the thicker trees. Moments later, the deluge began, and Robin could already feel his clothes cold and clinging to his skin. They were traveling slower than before despite the queen's labored attempts until finally she leaned against a tree, panting and massaging her injured leg. "What are we going to do?" she asked helplessly, sliding down to the ground, not caring about the mud at this point.

Robin glanced around frantically. He couldn't see anything through the rain, and it was already dark. At last, he sat down beside the queen.

"So that's it?" she asked, bewildered. "We're just going to sit here?"

Robin shrugged. "There's nothing else we can do, Your Majesty," Robin replied, hostility momentarily forgotten. "Unless your great power involves changing the weather. Or is that spell forgotten in your castle as well?"

The queen glared at him, but only for a moment before glancing away. "You put far too much faith in magic for something you fear."

Robin blinked. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. Fear?"

The queen looked at him from the side. "Well of course. It wasn't hard to tell. I mean, you shot me because of it."

Robin looked at the queen, but she was gazing elsewhere. He supposed he was rather fearful of magic, but he had good reason to be.

After several minutes of being silently drenched by the rain, sheltered only by the thin branches of the trees above, Robin made a decision. He turned to reach into his bag. "What are you doing?" the queen enquired. He answered her by pulling out a small, familiar pouch. The queen's eyes widened, and she glanced up at him.

He held it out toward her. "Here." She stared at him, eyebrows raised in utter shock. "Really!" Robin said. "I told you, I'm sorry for robbing you. And you were right before. Our methods are not exactly perfect, or entirely noble for that matter." She continued to look at him. "I was going to sell them, but… well, anyway. Here you are. They should all be there."

At last, the queen reached forward and took the pouch into her hand, staring in awe at Robin all the while. As she turned away to glance inside, Robin looked up the hill, and through the thick of the downpour, he thought he could make out a large, square shape.

"Your Majesty, forgive me, but I think I see shelter." Glancing up, the queen quickly closed the pouch and moved to get up with the help of Robin. She attempted to move quickly as before, but instead immediately slipped in the mud and fell to her knees. A flash of light pierced the darkness followed by a cap of thunder and a cracking sound as a nearby tree fell smoking to the ground. Robin knelt down. "Your Majesty," he said, he said urgently as she struggled to sit up. "Please. May I?"

The queen pursed her lips a moment and finally nodded once. She reached her arms around Robin's neck, and he nestled his arms beneath her back and knees in much the same way as he had after her initial injury, only this time she wasn't unconscious, and despite being completely cold and drenched, Robin could feel the warmth of her body hanging onto his all the more as he heaved her upward and made his way up the hill.

* * *

Regina did her best to ignore the Robin's – the thief's – beating heart against her side, but it seemed the more she tried to ignore it, the more she could feel it.

The thief had indeed surprised her with the presentation of the jewels he had stolen from her all those months ago. She had long assumed he'd sold them. The fact that he didn't… she wasn't sure how to interpret that.

When at last they made it to the top of the hill, the shelter Robin had spotted before turned out to be a small abandoned cottage. The roof had a hole in it, and the windows were long shattered, but it would do, she supposed. Regina could still feel Robin's strong muscles holding her tight as he pushed his way through the half opened door and beneath the leaking roof that was just enough to shelter them from the rain.

"Excellent," Robin commented, glancing at the Regina, who glanced at him. Suddenly his pale blue eyes were centimeters away from hers, and both looked away immediately. "Ah, yes." A small rug still lay next to something of a fireplace, and Robin stepped towards it and carefully set Regina down. She immediately felt the loss of warmth replaced by the cold and humid air and her drenched skin and clothes. She looked away from him and played with the pouch in her lap for a while as Robin inspected the fireplace.

"I think," he said, his voice echoing up the chimney. He pulled himself away and faced Regina, "with some dry firewood we could get this going." Regina looked pointedly towards the corner of the room and Robin followed her gaze to a pile of prepared firewood. "Ah. How convenient." After a few minutes of arranging the firewood in the pit, Robin stepped back with a sigh. "Now if we just had a way to light it—"

Regina raised her hand, conjuring a fireball and throwing it into the pit. It immediately set aflame and a yellow glow erupted followed by a refreshing wave of heat. Robin looked at her. "Right. I suppose magic is useful for something," he said with a smirk. Regina rolled her eyes and didn't reply.

As the thief settled himself on the opposite side of the fireplace, Regina opened the pouch once more. It was filled with her usual jewels, but she thought she saw something in it before and had to look again. She dug around the chains and gems she didn't much care for until a glint of gold caught her eye. Heart pounding, Regina reached carefully into the pouch and pulled out a small brass ring. It was by no means an expensive piece of jewelry, and yet it was the most valuable. She had almost forgotten about it. She hadn't even realized the thief had taken it.

This realization sent Regina's heart awash with guilt. The only man she could ever love. The only man who could ever love her.

"_It is possible to find love again."_

Regina glanced up at Robin, who was staring back at her contemplatively. Realizing he had been watching her, Regina closed her hand around the ring and sat up straight. "What?" she demanded.

Robin eyed her as he stroked his chin for a moment. "I was wondering, when I looked through that, what that brass ring was for. It's clearly of no value."

Blood filled Regina's cheeks, though she wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. "Maybe not to a common thief," she retorted.

"I told you," the thief scolded. "I have a name." Regina blinked, not amused. "Speaking of which, you never quite did tell me your name."

Regina glanced up at him momentarily. She was tempted to say something about how he probably did know her name, there was no point in asking. But in the end she decided it was easier, _better_, to just answer. "Regina. My name is Regina."

Robin nodded and then tilted his head to the side and raised his eyebrows. "So it's sentimental?" he continued, gesturing to the ring. "Are you telling me the Evil Queen – I mean, _Regina_ – is sentimental?" he was continuing to tease her, but she wasn't in the mood.

"Enough," she snapped. "I've told you before. You don't know anything about me."

Robin sighed exaggeratedly. "You've got me there," he admitted. "It seems that every time I think I have you figured out, you go ahead and surprise me."

Regina didn't reply. After a short pause, she opened her hand again and stared at the ring, thinking of kind of person she was the first time she wore it. Kind, gentle, eager to love. And also naïve.

"It was an engagement ring," Regina said after a long moment. Robin glanced up in surprise at her answer.

"From whom?" he enquired. "King Leopold?"

Regina let out a hollow laugh. "No, not that old fool. Though he did have a part in ensuring this ring never became a wedding ring." Robin remained silent, waiting. "This was given to me by Daniel."

Robin leaned forward. "Daniel?"

"Yes, Daniel. My…" She sighed. "My first love." Regina continued to stare at the ring, but she could feel the thief's curious gaze boring into her. "We were supposed to run away together so I wouldn't have to marry Leopold and become queen." A flicker of a smile crossed Regina's face at the memory.

"But?" Robin urged.

"But he died."

Robin let that sink in for a moment before scooting forward an inch. "May I ask… how?"

Regina raised her eyes to look at the thief. He was closer than she expected. He had somehow made his way just beside her, his face no more than a foot from hers. So many different emotions colored his features. Surprise, curiosity… was that – compassion?

"My mother killed him," Regina replied. She continued to look at Robin. His face was intense as he stared into Regina's eyes, trying to make her out. Before she knew it, he was raising his hand tentatively. Regina looked at it, but didn't move as he reached for her face. His sleeve had fallen down a little when he lifted his arm, and his tattoo was poking out from beneath it. Robin's fingers burned a trail as they merely grazed her face for a moment. When he retracted his fingers, they were wet, and with a jolt, Regina realized it wasn't because of the rain. Regina raised her own hand to her face and found it was warm with tears rolling down her cheeks. Her stomach was churning and her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding and the rigid front she had put up all along for this thief was falling apart. She turned quickly away, looking down, waiting until he finally sighed and stood up to look around the cottage some more.

With every exhale, a little a few of the butterflies left her stomach, but they never really all went away. As long as Robin was near her, as long as he was alive, as long as she knew that that tattoo was stamped to his forearm, Regina doubted that the butterflies would ever really go away.

There was no bickering that night. No arguing, no complaining. Nothing but the sound of rain and distant thunder and the crackling fire to accompany the stiff silence that went on that night. After a while Regina finally lay her head on the wooden floor and let the rhythm of the rain lull her to sleep as she tried to ignore the shadow of Robin's warm hand against her cheek.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! Also if any of you would like to follow me on tumblr there's a link on my profile. (:_


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note:** Sorry for the wait! Here we are! I think we all need this after a midseason finale like that. Thank you so much for all your reviews. Please don't stop, I love to know that y'all think about each chapter. (: Also, someone asked how long this will be. The answer is... I'm not sure. We'll just have to see!

* * *

Robin sat up abruptly the next morning when he awoke. Glancing around, he gained his bearings and realized he was not in fact in his own small tent, but instead in a musty, damp cabin. Things started to slowly come back to him, and then he saw the figure lying on the opposite side of the room near the fireplace. Sleeping soundly in a mess of brown cloth and black hair was none other than the queen herself. The Evil Queen, he reminded himself. Or was it… Regina?

Memories of the previous night flooded back. The fire warm against his back as the queen poured out her heart out of nowhere over the mysterious ring. The tears that streamed down her soft face and the way Robin surprised even himself by reaching forward to wipe them.

They had… connected to say the least. And the queen – Regina – continued to surprise him. His eyes lingered for a moment longer on her sleeping figure, knowing that her seemingly peaceful and fragile appearance was far from the truth.

Light was beginning to stream into the cabin, and Robin decided to take a look around outside without the shadows of darkness and rain to cover it. As he ducked out of the doorway, he breathed in the fresh air and noticed the sound of rushing water, no doubt having been drowned out by the rain the previous night. Robin jogged the rest of the way up the hill in search of its source.

"You're kidding me," he murmured to himself upon reaching the top of the hill, chuckling and shaking his head. "Bloody Hell… M'lady!" He hurried back into the cabin and crouched down next to Regina, shaking her gently. "M'lady! Wake up!"

Regina let out a tired groan. "What," she croaked, pushing Robin's hand away.

"M'lady! Please get up. I think we've found that waterfall you spoke of!" Regina cracked one eye open to look at him. Robin tugged at her arm, smiling almost giddily. "Come on!"

He thought he caught her rolling her eyes, but at last, with the help of his hand, she stood up and hobbled outside and up the hill. Her hand was warm and tight against Robin's as she grasped it for support. Her hair was a complete mess. Her eyelids were droopy. Yet somehow she still managed to look stunning. Fairest of them all, or so they said. Robin couldn't disagree.

At last they reached the hilltop and Regina's droopy eyes sprung open wide. Before them, a beautiful pond sparkled in the morning sunlight, fed by a rushing white waterfall. "Is this the waterfall you spoke of, M'lady?" Robin asked, half grinning down at her.

"Uh… yes," she replied dumbly. Then she shook herself and punched him lightly (maybe even playfully?). "I told you it was around here somewhere."

Robin chuckled and stood close by as she made her way down a slope near the waterfall. When at last they reached the water's edge, she kicked off her shoes and stepped into the water, almost immediately slipping on the loose pebbles beneath.

"Whoa!" Robin yelped, grasping her shoulders to hold her steady. "M'lday, perhaps it would be easier if I –"

"No!" Regina said firmly. "Like hell I'm getting carried again." With a bold thrust of her hand, the water before them parted, and the muddy and pebbled pond floor smoothed out into dry ground. Regina limped forward with determination, and Robin followed close behind in case she got too bold, chuckling inside all the while.

When they reached the base of the waterfall, Regina carefully began lifting her skirt above the wound on her thigh. After a pointed look from Regina, Robin casually turned away.

"Ha!" Regina exclaimed. "Well what do you know?" Robin turned back around to a very triumphant Regina who was now standing much taller.

"All healed up?" he asked. Regina grimaced and nodded.

"Just make sure you're careful with those arrows next time," she warned as she marched quite easily back up the dry path toward the bank. Robin had to jog to keep up, noticing that the waters she had parted were closing in behind her.

"Forgive me, M'lady, but was that a joke I just heard?"

Regina scoffed as she bent down to pick up her shoes. "Don't get too excited, Thief," she replied, but he could hear the hint of humor in her voice. "Dear god, is that me?" she said in exasperation upon flinching at her own reflection in the water. She waved a hand over her face, and the dark smudged mess of makeup over her eyes was rearranged into a much more even and complimentary shape, while her hair was smoothed out into its long dark curls. If Robin had thought she was stunning with a bedhead, he had to admit she was breathtaking now that her hair and makeup were fixed. She must have noticed him staring. "Are we going or not?" she said with a wink as she brushed past him. His eyes followed her as she strode forward with a gait that could belong to no one else but a queen.

Robin's heart pounded way faster than it should. He'd seen plenty of beautiful women in his lifetime, and he'd caught plenty of beautiful women's eyes too, but he couldn't say any women had ever made him feel this… whatever _this_ was.

_Get a hold of yourself, Robin_, he thought quickly. _She's the bloody queen, and she probably hates you. _

He felt a bit ridiculous, but as he hurried to catch up to Regina, he couldn't help but feel that the way this woman was beginning to peck at both his mind and his heart wouldn't seem to go away no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

* * *

It felt good to be back. To be able to walk on her own without being guided or carried. If there was anything Regina hated, it was being dependent on others. Unfortunately, she would have to solicit help from the thief a while longer until she managed to make it back to her palace.

They had been walking in silence for a good hour when Regina glanced up at Robin. "I've been thinking," she began. "Now that I'm out and about and all healed up, I don't see the point in going all the way back to the camp."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Then what would you rather do, M'lady?"

Regina shrugged. "Well why don't we… buy some horses or something? We can make it back to my palace."

Robin laughed. "Buy some horses? We don't even have any money! Or supplies!"

"Don't we?" she said, lifting her bag of jewels and jingling it in front of his face. Robin gave her a look. She narrowed her eyes. Robin raised his eyebrows. Regina continued to look at him. "Fine," he sighed, and a satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Regina's mouth. "If we take a short detour, there should be a small town a few miles from here. There should be horses and supplies there."

Regina nodded. "Please, lead the way," she said, gesturing forward.

Their dynamic was changing, Regina noticed. His apology, giving her the jewels back, her telling him about Daniel (her cheeks burned at the very thought). And of course she had gone and winked at him. She had to kick herself a bit for that one.

And there was the matter of his tattoo, but Regina avoided thinking of that at all costs.

"So," Robin ventured after a long moment of silent walking, "being the queen. What's it like?"

Regina looked at him suspiciously. "Why would a common thief need to know?"

Robin shrugged. "Curiosity? Friendly conversation? Not everyone is out to get you, you know."

Regina looked at him and moment longer before glancing back to the path ahead. "Not much to tell," she said. "It's like any other profession, I suppose, though not something I would have chosen for myself, especially when the whole kingdom hates you."

Robin glanced her way. "Well, I mean, that will happen when you rampage their villages in search of their princess."

"Snow White is no princess!" Regina snapped. "She's a lying, murderous brat who can't even keep a secret."

"You honestly believe that she – "

Regina stopped walking and turned to face him. "You don't know anything about me or my life or my relationship with your precious princess, Thief, so don't even try to tell me what I should believe!" she snarled.

Robin stared at her, wide-eyed. "Forgive me," he said after a pause. "You're right. It's not my place to say."

Regina said nothing in response, merely seethed in herself as they began to walk again.

If she were being honest with herself, she had thought of Snow White less and less each day. The fire of her hatred and need for revenge was there, but it was as if it were dimming each day, and slowly replaced by a newer, warmer flame.

Whatever that was.

"But surely there are some good sides to being queen," Robin continued. "Extravagant palaces, all the money you could need, hundreds of servants at your beck and call. And royal balls!" Regina scoffed. "You do have balls, don't you?" Robin asked.

Regina frowned. Not since Snow White had escaped, she thought. "Not… in a while."

"What! But balls have to be one of the best parts of being queen!" Robin exclaimed.

"Well what does a thief know about the wonders of royal balls?" said Regina. She didn't like where this conversation was going. Robin shrugged but didn't reply. Regina glanced toward him suspiciously. "What _do_ you know about balls?"

Robin laughed, and it made Regina's heart beat a little faster. "Even a common thief can have his fair share of royal occasions," he replied, a smile teasing his mouth.

Regina frowned for a moment, thinking. Then she stopped and looked at him. "You didn't."

"It's in the job description, M'lady."

Regina scowled as they started up walking again. "You're insufferable. Attending balls uninvited to steal from their patrons."

"You knew I was a thief when you met me," he said with a smirk, earning him an eye roll. "But the question still remains," he continued. "Are balls not one of the best parts of being royalty?"

Regina shrugged offhandedly. "Never really had a taste for them," she muttered.

Robin squinted at her, but she kept her eyes straight ahead. "How is that? Did you not love the atmosphere? The romance? The dancing?" Regina snorted at the last one, and Robin feigned a surprised gasp. "Does Her Majesty not enjoy dancing?" Regina kept a straight face. "Or perhaps she does not know how!"

"I never said that," Regina snapped, but Robin merely smiled.

"Or perhaps she has never had –"

"Look, there it is!" Regina pointed forward where well within sight in the midst of the valley a small, bustling town was visible. Before Robin could say anything, she adjusted her grasp on her skirts, and she set off at an even brisker pace than before toward the town while Robin jogged to keep up.

Regina couldn't say she was pleased with peasant food, but she supposed it would have to do.

"I can't believe I paid my silver necklace for this," she murmured between bites of a particularly stale piece of bread.

"It was your idea to get something to eat," Robin pointed out with his mouth half full.

Regina sighed and glanced around the rather shady looking pub they had found themselves in. Ambiguous figures eyed her from every angle, but upon meeting her fiery gaze, most of them backed down. She was tempted to cause trouble, but Robin stayed her hand. She would have to put up with it until the evening, anyway. They were told two horses would not be available until then.

"I don't need you to come with me," Regina had said.

"M'lady, we've gotten this far, and I intend to see you safely home."

If she couldn't persuade Robin, Regina was ready to bring up her royal title to the salesman, but Robin managed to stop her, advising her that that would be a bad idea, especially when she has nothing to back her claim. And when she suggested using magic to convince the man, Robin wouldn't have it.

Why she was doing anything he suggested, she couldn't really fathom. Maybe it was the way his pale eyes pierced hers, or the way they also softened towards her the way no one's eyes had since Daniel died, or just the way her heart pounded when he was fewer than two feet away from her.

Either way, here they sat, munching away at peasant food, killing time until the evening when the horses would be available. Robin managed to employ a pageboy to send the message to his Merry Men that they were safe, and he would be escorting Regina home.

"More water, Madam?" the bar maid asked.

Regina glanced up in surprise, having been lost in thought. "Oh! Um. Yes," she muttered.

As the maid poured water into her cup, she eyed Regina. "Say, you look kinda familiar. What's your name?"

"Regina," Regina replied without thinking. Robin looked at her, then at the maid.

"Oh, just like the Evil Queen. How unfortunate. Well enjoy!"

Regina's jaw dropped as the maid strolled away. "At least she didn't recognize you," Robin offered, but Regina merely pursed her lips and stared down into her lap.

"I think it's time we left," she sighed as she began to stand up. Robin moved to copy her until they were interrupted.

"Robin? Robin, m'boy, is that you?" They both turned to face a man sitting at a table near the front. He was tall and lanky and wore a strange hat with a lyre at his side.

"Alan?" Robin said after a moment. Regina looked back and forth between Robin and the strange man. After another beat of silence, the two men burst into laughter and embraced each other. Regina merely stepped awkwardly out of the way.

"Dear Robin, it's been an age! What are you doing so far from Sherwood Forest?" Robin began to reply when the man named Alan's eyes fell on Regina. "And who's this?" he said teasingly, glancing to Robin.

Robin shifted nervously. "Ah!" he began. "That is– "

"Gina," Regina finished, feigning a smile. She should probably curtsey or something, but she couldn't bring herself to bow to a peasant.

"Ahhh," Alan replied, bowing low. "The name is Alan a Dale, Miss." He extended his hand, and Regina placed hers in his. He kissed her fingers gently, but his eyes lingered at the pouch of jewels on her waist. "I must say, Rob, you have done very well."

Robin's eyes grew wide and he glanced at Regina, whose cheeks were burning along with her hands about to throw a fireball at this man. "She's not – we're not – "

"Yes, yes, of course, now please sit and have a drink," Alan insisted, patting some stools next to himself.

Regina chewed her lip impatiently. "We really should be going," she said firmly as Robin seemed ready to concede. Robin looked at her and sighed.

"She's right. Forgive us, Alan, but– "

"Nonsense!" Alan exclaimed as he waved down the bar maid. After a look at their expressions he chuckled. "Please." He gestured to the two empty seats.

Robin turned to Regina. "I'm afraid once he's made up his mind it's very difficult to change," he murmured. He turned back to Alan. "Alright, Mate. Just one drink, I suppose."

Jaw clenched and fists tight in annoyance, Regina sat down as well and sipped quietly at her drink as Alan and Robin updated each other on recent events (Robin conveniently left out the part where he robbed the queen's castle). She was beginning to grow bored until Alan turned to face her once more. "So Rob, where'd you find this beautiful damsel?"

Regina had to keep herself from raising her lip in disgust, reminding herself that this man did not know who he was talking to. But how she would like to let him know.

"She's… one of the men's sisters," Robin put in. "I was just taking her back from seeing her…"

"Grandmother," Regina finished for him.

Alan nodded. "Well, you two must come to the bonfire tonight. Some of my fellow musicians and myself will be providing the musical entertainment."

Robin and Regina exchanged glances. "I don't think we– " Robin began.

"Oh, enough! When's the last time you had a little fun, Robin? Please think about it."

Robin gave him a tight smile and nodded, standing up and clasping hands with Alan. "See you around, Mate," he said before he and Regina were finally able to leave the pub.

Regina sighed deeply the moment they were out the door. "Apologies, M'lady. It's hard to shut Alan up once he's begun. A nice fellow, though, really. Though never quite fit for the Merry Men."

"And why's that?" Regina asked.

"Stole too much for himself," Robin replied, glancing toward Regina.

"And that's not what you do?" Regina said with a laugh.

"Haven't you figured this out by now? A thief only steals for himself. We steal for the good of others."

_If you say so_, Regina thought, but she remained silent. "Well, shall we be off then?" she said at last. "Perhaps we should gather some supplies for our journey." Robin nodded in agreement and they set off down the marketplace. "I can't wait to finally be home," Regina muttered, but as she watched Robin make his way through the street, she felt like maybe she didn't want this to end.

* * *

_Time flies when you're having fun. _Was that how the saying went? Time was flying, Robin thought. And he dare said they were having fun.

Shopping for supplies for their journey had soon turned into looking around every shop they could find. The most fun they had was in a curio shop with all sorts of odd things and an odd shopkeeper. Throughout the whole adventure, Robin had made Regina laugh twice.

_Twice._

And his chest constricted both times. He wanted that elusive smile tattooed on the back of his eyelids.

Okay, maybe that was taking it too far.

Whatever the case, Robin couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she didn't hate him so much, and maybe he could put up with her after all. Maybe they didn't have to be enemies or even sour companions. Maybe they could be friends. Or something along those lines.

Before they knew it, the sun was beginning to set, showering the village in glimmering orange and yellow, and the village square was growing empty. Robin and Regina found themselves following the flow of townspeople a little ways out into the forest, where an enormous fire was burning, and music was beginning to play.

By the time they had arrived, the sun had set, and the forest was a deep shade of blue amidst the warm, orange glow of the fire. "It's the bonfire Alan spoke of," Robin realized, looking at Regina.

Regina gave him a flat look. "We are not," she said. When Robin continued to look at her, she rolled her eyes. "It's already evening. Our horses are probably ready by now! We should go."

Robin returned her expression with a pleading one. "Please, M'lady, we can simply watch. Just for a moment."

Regina gave him a hard stare of at least five seconds before exhaling in defeat. "Fine. But only a moment."

Robin smiled and took Regina's hand, leading her closer to the bonfire. Her fingers flinched at his grip at first, but soon relaxed, and Robin felt like perhaps that meant something. But he couldn't get ahead of himself. No matter what the two of them felt, if anything, she was still the queen and he was still a common thief.

They situated themselves on a log on the outside of the ring and watched in silence as a circle of townspeople danced around the fire to jolly music provided by Alan and his fellow minstrels. Alan caught Robin's eye and nodded to him from afar. Even this far from the fire, they could still feel its heat on their faces.

"I have to say, Robin," Regina began, surprising him, "even though you did steal from me… _twice_… and nearly killed me… You're not… as bad as I thought you were." After saying this, she bit her lip awkwardly, as if perhaps she had something more to say, but instead she merely nodded and glanced nervously at him.

Robin couldn't help but chuckle. "Thank you, M'lady. And I will say, perhaps I saw a glimpse of the great and terrible Evil Queen, but lately, I can't say the moniker really applies. Bold and audacious, perhaps, but not evil. No, you are a far more complex woman for so simple a word."

Regina's eyes grew wide at his statement, and slowly but surely her dark lips curled into a smile. There it was. The firelight flickered beautifully against her skin, the song changed, and suddenly everything fell into place.

Robin stood up. "This is my favorite song!" he exclaimed. He turned and offered his hand to Regina. "Dance with me."

"But you said—"

"Please!"

Regina rolled her eyes and smiled as she placed her hand in his. He nearly yanked her up off the log, and she struggled to keep up as he raced to the ring of dancers around the bonfire. It was a cheerful, melodic tune that Robin favored dearly. The dance was performed in a ring, but with one partner to perform specific moves with at various times. Regina was very lost at first, but soon got the hang of it and was spinning and clapping along as if she knew the dance her entire life. The song grew faster and faster in tempo as it progressed, making everyone's dancing progressively sloppy, but that was part of the fun. The drums rattled quickly, and Robin caught glimpses of Regina spinning, laughing, moving in time as her skirt flowed easily around her, and her laughter rang out above the flutes. The music grew louder and faster until at last the song reached its peak tempo and ended on a long note with everyone holding their positions until it ended, and everyone burst into laughter and applause.

Regina was panting as she grasped Robin's arms and laughed loudly. Her relaxed features, her wide smile – Robin couldn't help but feel that this was the woman she once was – happy and carefree. And perhaps she could be that again. Maybe he could be there to see it when she did.

They moved to return to their seat, but the music began again. This time it wasn't a ring dance, but something more couple-oriented. Regina looked excitedly at Robin. "Wait," she said with a sly smile, and she pulled him back into the ring.

The song started slowly, with Robin and Regina circling each other, connected at their forearms. Robin was familiar with the dance, but this time it seemed Regina was as well. The flames reflected in her eyes as the first melodic tune interrupted the string of long notes, and the dance truly began with the two of them separated and soon coming together again. Robin learned quickly. "I thought you didn't know how to dance," he murmured to her at a moment when they were close together.

"I never said that," Regina replied.

"Oh that's right," Robin continued. "But you said you did not like it. I was going to say, M'lady, perhaps you never had the right partner."

He thought he caught a blush on her cheeks then, but it was hard to tell and he placed his hands around her waist and swung her easily into a lift.

"You're not bad at this yourself," she muttered.

"I told you, M'lady. I've attended my fair share of balls."

She merely smirked at this, and they continued with the lifts, the dips, and spins until the music died off and they were bowing to each other. Another applause gave them the chance to make their way back out of the ring, but neither of them made a move to do so. "One more" soon became six more, and neither one of them seemed to want to stop.

After taking a good moment to catch their breaths after a particularly fast song, the slow strum of a lyre indicated the beginning of a very slow song. Many people took this cue to have a rest. Robin looked unsurely at Regina, who was looking nervously to the side.

"Shall we?" he said, offering his hand. She smiled and took it, and they transitioned into a very slow, tired sway. Robin glanced up at the sound of a slow ballad being sung by none other than Alan a Dale as he strummed his lyre. They started with the normal stance, but Regina began shifting closer and closer to Robin until she was resting her head on his shoulder, and he was resting his chin in her hair.

"How did you know all those dances?" he asked quietly.

"I haven't always been a queen," Regina murmured tiredly against his chest.

He could feel her take a deep breath against his shoulder, practically breathing him in. He could guess that her eyes were closed and decided to do the same, feeling nothing but her warmth so close against him, and he was almost certain she could feel his heart pounding. Then again, he was almost certain he could feel her heart pounding as well. But maybe that was just from all the dancing.

Robin felt like perhaps he should say something, but he didn't want to ruin the moment. Alan plucked a final note, and the song was over. The fire was burning low. They didn't move from their position. Robin never wanted to move from this position.

Whether he liked it or not, whether they wanted to admit it or not, something had formed between Regina and himself. Perhaps she was the Evil Queen, but Robin knew there was so much more inside her, so much she used to be, so much she still was, so much he had seen the past day that made him see her in an entirely different way. A way he knew no one had thought of her in perhaps a very long time. And he knew that the way she made him feel was different. And he knew he didn't want it to end when he left her at her palace.

"Regina," he began.

"Mm?" Regina pulled back to look at him, and staring into those dark eyes, Robin felt speechless. Regina held his gaze a moment longer before her eyes grew wide. "Oh no," she said with a gasp. "We've wasted so much time – we need to get the horses!"

Regina tore herself away from him, and Robin could immediately feel the cold air against his skin despite the nearness of the fire. Regina felt at her waist for where she had attached the bag of jewels, but it was nowhere to be found. Her eyes scanned the ground. "I must have left it on the log," she murmured, and strode hurriedly to place where they had been sitting previously, but it was empty. "Oh no," she whispered, turning back to Robin. "I know I had it when we came here!"

The music started up again, but something was off this time. The familiar sound of a lyre was missing, and when Robin turned to look, Alan was nowhere to be found among his fellow musicians.

"Alan," Robin groaned. "He was eyeing those jewels back in the pub. He knows a pouch embroidered like yours holds nothing cheap."

"That thief!" she growled in a tone Robin was all too familiar with. "We have to find him! Make him give it back! I'll—"

"Wait, M'lday. Alan is very fast and very clever."

Regina huffed. "Then what will we do? We need those jewels for the horses!" Her voice grew quiet. "Daniel's ring is in there."

"I know," Robin said, placing his hands on Regina's shoulders and catching her eye. "We'll get them back, but we're going to do it my way. We're going to have to steal them back."

* * *

_Headcanon: Regina is a hella good dancer. Thank you for reading! Please review!_


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